Gears in an epicyclic gear box may rotate on journal bearings. Epicyclic gear systems placed under load may deflect and diminish the performance of gears and bearings. Rigid gear systems may not allow for deflection and thus may suffer reduced performance. At the same time, the journal bearing must be stiff enough to withstand stress in high-torque applications such as gas turbine engines. Additionally, weight in aircraft applications may also be a concern with heavy gear boxes. In that regard, improving weight, compliance, and/or stiffness characteristics of a journal pin may be a tradeoff.